Swift take: If done right, this could turn into the scariest film of 2016, and given that it received high praise at Sundance, well, I am not sure what to make of that, actually. It is definitely on my must watch list for this year. I have always had a horrific love affair with witches, because of some personal experiences that are . . . personal.
There is one thing I will say about witches, they are real, and the ones that are not to be messed with don’t go around making their presence a fact. They aren’t goth chick, Wicca wannabes either. Anyway, I will be setting the horror bar very high for this one. If it doesn’t scare me, it’s not much of a witch flick.
IN THEATERS: FEBRUARY 19, 2016
Directed/VVritten by: Robert Eggers
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, Lucas Dawson
Spoiler Free Synopsis: New England, 1630. Upon threat of banishment by the church, an English farmer leaves his colonial plantation, relocating his wife and five children to a remote plot of land on the edge of an ominous forest.
Strange and unsettling things begin to happen almost immediately – animals turn malevolent, crops fail, and one child disappears as another becomes seemingly possessed by an evil spirit. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, family members accuse teenage daughter Thomasin of witchcraft, charges she adamantly denies.
As circumstances grow more treacherous, each family member’s faith, loyalty and love become tested in shocking and unforgettable ways.
This is Writer/director Robert Eggers’ debut feature. It was well received at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival – winning the Best Director Prize in the U.S. Narrative Competition!
Here’s the official trailer:
